Plane with Michelle Obama had to abort landing due to mistake

[Ralph Wiggum]

A White House plane carrying Michelle Obama came dangerously close to a 200-ton military cargo jet and had to abort its landing at Andrews Air Force Base on Monday as the result of an air traffic controller’s mistake, according to federal officials familiar with the incident.

Ultimately controllers at Andrews feared the cargo jet would not clear the runway in time, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak for their agencies.

FAA officials confirmed that the first lady was aboard the plane, but had no additional comment immediately. They expected to release a statement later Tuesday. The first lady’s office also had no immediate comment.

The Federal Aviation Administration, already dealing with a series of controversies involving controllers sleeping and watching a movie on the job, on Tuesday sent a team of investigators to the Warrenton radar control center where the mistake was made.

The First Lady was returning from a television appearance and other events with Jill Biden in New York and was aboard a Boeing 737 that is part of the presidential fleet of jets when the error occurred on final approach to Andrews.

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[DLR Pyro]

Doesnt sound like too big a deal.  The cargo transport didn't exit the active runway in time so the controller issued a go-around command the 737.  Happens quite often, just this time there was a high profile passenger onboard.

[Mr Mannn]

At least its not Clinton blocking the runway for a two hour hair cut.

[JohnnyReb]

Doesnt sound like too big a deal.  The cargo transport didn't exit the active runway in time so the controller issued a go-around command the 737.  Happens quite often, just this time there was a high profile passenger onboard.

Yeah, but this was the First Wookie ...and she's special you know, just ask her.

[thundley4]

I heard that the planes were within 3 miles in the air on basically the same flight path, so the First Sasquatch's plane had to do some maneuvering to avoid the turbulence from the cargo plane. 

[T-Monay820]

Doesnt sound like too big a deal.  The cargo transport didn't exit the active runway in time so the controller issued a go-around command the 737.  Happens quite often, just this time there was a high profile passenger onboard.

+1 No news here other than ATC just needs practice with his sequencing.

[T-Monay820]

I heard that the planes were within 3 miles in the air on basically the same flight path, so the First Sasquatch's plane had to do some maneuvering to avoid the turbulence from the cargo plane.  

There's an effect known as wake turbulence which is important while landing, but planes this large really should be minimally impacted given proper spacing.

[Bondai]

First Wookie 

[Rebel]

Weight balance issues?

[Ralph Wiggum]

+1 No news here other than ATC just needs practice with his sequencing.

I subsequently heard that it was a military air traffic controller, since they were flying into St. Andrews Air Force Base.  For whatever that's worth.

Therefore, it must be Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld's fault.

[DLR Pyro]

There's an effect known as wake turbulence which is important while landing, but planes this large really should be minimally impacted given proper spacing.

The wingtip vorticies that cause wake turbulence can be avoided by staying higher and landing longer than the leading plane.

[DumbAss Tanker]

It's being played as a near-colllision, which it wasn't; just maintaining recommended interval to stay out of the C17's tip turbulence. 

Turbulence from the wingtip vortices behind a heavy lifter is a very real concern and much greater behind a plane taking off than one landing.  Many times I've seen planes stacked for landing at Newark that were no way in Hell more than three miles apart, tops, but of course they were landing one right after the other, not trying to land behind a plane taking off.  Due to cross-winds, the turbulent air generally does not stay lined up on the flight path of the plane that created it, and it's invisible, which results in an unpredictable asymmetric downdraft or updraft effect on any other plane that gets too close behind it, which is potentially disastrous in final approach.

It appears from what I've heard about it that the error occurred by a civilian ATC at the regional level giving her plane the go-ahead, while the ATC in the tower at Andrews was not ready to accept her plane on the hand-off due to the C17's departure.